Understanding these phenomena is important because strong flares<\/a> can cause serious disruptions to technology here on Earth<\/a>\u2014including radio communications.<\/p>\n The research was led by Alexander Russell, a senior lecturer in solar theory at the University of St Andrews.<\/p>\n According to the team, modern data from magnetic reconnection studies\u2014a process where magnetic energy is explosively converted to heat and kinetic energy\u2014were key to the discovery.<\/p>\n “We were excited by recent discoveries that a process called magnetic reconnection heats ions 6.5 times as much as electrons,” Russell said in a statement.<\/p>\n “This appears to be a universal law, and it has been confirmed in near-Earth space, the solar wind and computer simulations. However, nobody had previously connected work in those fields to solar flares.”<\/p>\n The study examined how solar flare plasma\u2014comprised of ions and electrons\u2014is heated during these intense energy events.<\/p>\n “Solar physics has historically assumed that ions and electrons must have the same temperature,” Russell said.<\/p>\n “However, redoing calculations with modern data, we found that ion and electron temperature differences can last for as long as tens of minutes in important parts of solar flares, opening the way to consider super-hot ions for the first time.”<\/p>\n In addition to revising our understanding of solar flare mechanics, the new temperature estimates may help solve an observational puzzle that has perplexed solar physicists for nearly 50 years.<\/p>\n The width of certain spectral lines\u2014fingerprints of the light emitted during flares\u2014has long been wider than expected based on standard temperature assumptions.<\/p>\n “What’s more,” Russell added, “is that the new ion temperature fits well with the width of flare spectral lines, potentially solving an astrophysics mystery that has stood for nearly half a century.”<\/p>\n Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about solar flares? Let us know via science@newsweek.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Reference<\/p>\n![\"Sun](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/sun-emitting-solar-flares-artist-concept.jpg\")
\nAn artist’s concept of the Sun emitting solar flares.
\nAn artist’s concept of the Sun emitting solar flares.
\nGetty Images<\/p>\n